Rutaecarpine Inhibits Intimal Hyperplasia in A Balloon-Injured Rat Artery Model / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect and potential mechanisms of rutaecarpine (Rut) in a rat artery balloon-injury model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The intimal hyperplasia model was established by rubbing the endothelia with a balloon catheter in the common carotid artery (CCA) of rats. Fifty rats were randomly divided into five groups, ie. sham, model, Rut (25, 50 and 75 mg/kg) with 10 rats of each group. The rats were treated with or without Rut (25, 50, 75 mg/kg) by intragastric administration for 14 consecutive days following injury. The morphological changes of the intima were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and smooth muscle (SM) α-actin in the ateries were assayed by immunohistochemical staining. The mRNA expressions of c-myc, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2), MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were determined by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The protein expressions of MKP-1 and phosphorylated ERK2 (p-ERK2) were examined by Western blotting. The plasma contents of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) were also determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the model group, Rut treatment significantly decreased intimal thickening and ameliorated endothelial injury (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The positive expression rate of PCNA was decreased, while the expression rate of SM α-actin obviously increased in the vascular wall after Rut (50 and 75 mg/kg) administration (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of c-myc, ERK2 and PCNA were downregulated while the expressions of eNOS and MKP-1 were upregulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The protein expressions of MKP-1 and the phosphorylation of ERK2 were upregulated and downregulated after Rut (50 and 75 mg/kg) administration (P<0.05 or P<0.01), respectively. In addition, Rut dramatically reversed balloon injury-induced decrease of NO and cGMP in the plasma (P<0.05 or P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Rut could inhibit the balloon injury-induced carotid intimal hyperplasia in rats, possibly mediated by promotion of NO production and inhibiting ERK2 signal transduction pathways.</p>

Evodiamine Inhibits Angiotensin II-Induced Rat Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of evodiamine (Evo), a component of Evodiaminedia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth, on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) and further explore the potential mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cardiomyocytes from neonatal Sprague Dawley rats were isolated and characterized, and then the cadiomyocyte cultures were randomly divided into control, model (Ang II 0.1 μmol/L), and Evo (0.03, 0.3, 3 μmol/L) groups. The cardiomyocyte surface area, protein level, intracellular free calcium ([Ca]) concentration, activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and content of nitric oxide (NO) were measured, respectively. The mRNA expressions of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), calcineurin (CaN), extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 (ERK-2), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) of cardiomyocytes were analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction. The protein expressions of calcineurin catalytic subunit (CnA) and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) were detected by Western blot analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, Ang II induced cardiomyocytes hypertrophy, as evidenced by increased cardiomyocyte surface area, protein content, and ANF mRNA expression; increased intracellular free calcium ([Ca]) concentration and expressions of CaN mRNA, CnA protein, and ERK-2 mRNA, but decreased MKP-1 protein expression (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with Ang II, Evo (0.3, 3 μmol/L) significantly attenuated Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, decreased the [Ca] concentration and expressions of CaN mRNA, CnA protein, and ERK-2 mRNA, but increased MKP-1 protein expression (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Most interestingly, Evo increased the NOS activity and NO production, and upregulated the eNOS mRNA expression (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Evo signifificantly attenuated Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and this effect was partly due to promotion of NO production, reduction of [Ca]i concentration, and inhibition of CaN and ERK-2 signal transduction pathways.</p>

Nucleus-targeted Dmp1 transgene fails to rescue dental defects in Dmp1 null mice / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is essential to odontogenesis. Its mutations in human subjects lead to dental problems such as dental deformities, hypomineralization and periodontal impairment. Primarily, DMP1 is considered as an extracellular matrix protein that promotes hydroxyapatite formation and activates intracellular signaling pathway via interacting with αvβ3 integrin. Recent in vitro studies suggested that DMP1 might also act as a transcription factor. In this study, we examined whether full-length DMP1 could function as a transcription factor in the nucleus and regulate odontogenesis in vivo. We first demonstrated that a patient with the DMP1 M1V mutation, which presumably causes a loss of the secretory DMP1 but does not affect the nuclear translocation of DMP1, shows a typical rachitic tooth defect. Furthermore, we generated transgenic mice expressing (NLS)DMP1, in which the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) entry signal sequence of DMP1 was replaced by a nuclear localization signal (NLS) sequence, under the control of a 3.6 kb rat type I collagen promoter plus a 1.6 kb intron 1. We then crossbred the (NLS)DMP1 transgenic mice with Dmp1 null mice to express the (NLS)DMP1 in Dmp1-deficient genetic background. Although immunohistochemistry demonstrated that (NLS)DMP1 was localized in the nuclei of the preodontoblasts and odontoblasts, the histological, morphological and biochemical analyses showed that it failed to rescue the dental and periodontal defects as well as the delayed tooth eruption in Dmp1 null mice. These data suggest that the full-length DMP1 plays no apparent role in the nucleus during odontogenesis.